Tractor-carriage



F. MOON.

TRACTOR CARRIAGE.

v APPLICATION FILED ocT.2'9, 1919. I 1,374,384. Y Patented Apr. 12,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

lll" 1 x C) @WHO .'l 1I FMT@ c) v M V uw# ATTORNEYS F. MOON.

TRACTORCARRIAGE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29 |9l9. L Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- F/ j i 9| L v6?) 8 25 4\ @n f1 b` l El- /7721 l w/ y mr L -3 (3 Z0 17, f7- Ayr; i7 i;

/m WWK wv m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK MOON', OF OAKLAND, CALFOBNIA., TO MOON TRACTOR CO., OF SAN FRANCESCO, CALFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

TRACTOR-CARRAGE Speeicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

Application led October 29, 1919. Serial No. 334,303.

TocZZ whomztwmg/ concern.'

.Be it known that l, FRANK Moon, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Tractor-Carriages, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a truck or carriage for tractors of the type using endless articulated treads or traclechains.

rlhe obje/ct of my invention is to provide a simple and strong carriage for .supportA ing the major portion of the weight of the tractor by means of wheels or rollers operating upon the lower run Aof the track chain, said carriage being flexibly connected with the tractor frame through weight-supporting springs, so that practically the entire weight of the tractor is spring supported, thereby relieving its machinery from destructive jarring. Another object of my invention is to provide means associated with the carriage for supporting the upper run of `the traclechain, so that the distance between the upper and lower runs of the chain,

and therefore, the tension on said chain, will be constant at all times irrespective of the movement of the tractor frame relatively to the carriage.

With this in view my invention will now be more fully described with reference to the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my carriage, showing its relation to the tractor frame and traclechain.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l..

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view taken on the line .fl-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. l is a central longitudinal section, enlarged, of one of the weight-supporting rollers.

The reference numeral 1 designates a track-chain, shown only in F ig. 1. 2 designates the main longitudinal frame members of the tractor, of which there are two lor each track-chain, the spacing of said members being' shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Inside of and parallel with. the frame members 2 are guide members 3, secured to said frame members as by means of rivets 4 and spa-ced therefrom by spacer blocks 5, Fig. 3, leaving apertures 6, between guide members and said frame members.

rllhe carriage proper comprises a pair of spaced parallel longitudinal members 7, Figs. 1 and 2, to which are fixed upwardly extending vertical guides 8 and 9, the center pair of guides 8 being longer than end guides 9. Extending between the longitudinal members 7, preferably at the intersection therewith of the vertical members 8 and 9, are spindles l0, Fig. 1, upon which are journaled rollers 11, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, adapted to operate on the lower run of the track-chain 1. A similar roller 11, Fig. 1 journaled upon a spindle 10', is mounted between the upper ends of the center guide members 8 to support the upper run of said track-chain l.

The rollers 11 and 11 are all similar in construction, as shown in F ig. 4, having bushings 12 surrounding and having bearing upon the spindles 10 and 10. The rollers are hollow, as shown, forming reservoirs for lubricant, and are provided with filler plugs 13. The bushings 12 are perforated, as at 14, to permit access to the lubricant to the journal, and are provided at their ends with suitable packing l5, retained by rings 16, to prevent the lubricant from working out. Nuts 17 are provided for retaining the spindles 10 and 10 securely in their respective positions.

The vertical carriage members 8 and 9 pass freely through the guide apertures 6 of the frame structure, thereby retaining the carriage in position while allowing it to have some up and down movement relative to the frame. rllhis up and down movement is controlled and limited by springs interposed between the carriage and the frame, each of which l prefer to construct as a single semi-elliptical member 18, F 1 and 2 whose ends rest upon the longitudinal carriage member 7 and whose arched center portion supportsthe tractor frame member l by bearing against the under side of the longitudinal guide member 3. There are, therefore, two of such springs for ear-h carriage. The springs 18 are retained in position laterally by the vertical carriage members 8 and 9 upon one side, and by guide members 19 and 20, the former extending downwardly from the end portions of the springs and overlapping the sides of the longitudinal carriage members 7, and the latter fixed to the frame guide members 3 and bearing against the sides of the springs 17 in their central regions.

I claim:

1. In a tractor having an endless trackchain and a horizontal frame member provided with a vertically disposed guide-way.;

a carriage comprising a horizontal memberv disposed beneath and spaced from said frame member, a vertical member secured to said horizontal member and .passing freely through said guide-way, a weightsupporting roller carried by the lower portion of said vertical member andradapted to operate on the lower run of the trackchain to support the carriage, an idler roller carried by the upper portion of said vertical member and adapted to support the upper run of the track-chain, and a resilient connection between said carriage and said frame member for supporting the latter from the former.

2. In a tractor having an endless trackchain and a horizontal frame member provided with a vertically disposed guide-way; a carriage-comprising a horizontal member positioned beneath and spaced from said frame member, a vertical member secured to Vsaid horizontal member and passing freely through said guide-way, aA weightsupporting roller carried by the lower portion of said vertical member and adapted to operate on the lower run of the trackchain; an idler-roller carried by the upper portion of said vertical member and adapted to support the upper run of the trackchain; and a semi-elliptic spring interposed between said horizontal carriage member and said frame member for supporting the latter from the former.

3. In a tractor having spaced oppositely disposed horizontal frame members provided with vertically disposed guide-ways; a carriage comprising oppositely-disposed horizontal members positioned beneath said frame members7 vertical members secured to said horizontal members and passing freely through said guide-ways, transverse spindles extending between said horizontal .carriage members, weight-supporting rollers journaled upon said spindles, a transverse spindle extending between the upper end portions of oppositely disposed vertical members, an idler roller journaled upon said upper spindle, and a pair of singleleaf springs, one positioned between each frame member and the corresponding horij zontal carriage member.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK MOON.

Witnesses: Y I

WILLIAM F. BOOTH, Jr., D. B. RICHARDS. 

